We are truly blessed in India to have access to a wide variety of mangoes* – from the tangy Totapuri to the syrupy-sweet Chausa, from the small Sindhura to the massive Banganapalli – each abundant in our neighborhood stores.
Regional variations exist of course: try as we might, we cannot get Bihar’s Malda mangoes in Bangalore (no, please don’t tell me they are on Blinkit; you need to eat the real deal) – but these variations only add to the richness of India’s mangoscape.
A no-cook style of eating raw mangoes that’s lip-smacking delicious and what’s more – so easy a "no cook" can make it. Just get yourself a good quality knife or peeler and you are all set for preparing this…well, I call it raw mango salsa, though it might not be a purist’s idea of "salsa".
No matter what it’s called – it tastes wonderful!
A tangy garlicky dip to go with parathas and fried savories. Raw mango garlic chutney (kachcha aam lahsun chutney) is a must-try when raw mangoes are in season.
This recipe of kairi khatti-meethi chutney (sweet and sour raw mango chutney) is so elementary, even Watson wouldn’t need a Holmes to explain it to him. Or so I thought till a friend asked me what I had put in the amazing accompaniment I served with the meal.
Ginger? Lime? Some Far Eastern condiment you brought back from the travels?
It turns out that what we believe is too obvious for words may not be so.
With garlic, curry leaves and ghee for company, dal with raw mango is like heaven in a bowl. What’s more, it doesn’t take much to give your workaday yellow dal this exotic tangy twist. Let me show you how.
Raw mango mint chutney (traditionally “aam pudina chutney”) is a tasty tangy herby condiment served with Indian meals or as a sandwich spread for breakfast. This chutney combines the cooling properties of raw mango (kaccha aam) and mint leaves (pudina), with some coriander leaves (dhania) thrown in. When summer approaches and raw seasonal mangoes abound, this chutney is a lovely treat.
A no-cook, no-bake healthy treat, chia mango pudding can be prepared the night before and had for breakfast. A true blessing on rushed mornings or when you have zero cooking equipment on hand.
Chia seeds are tiny powerhouses of nutrition – they are packed with protein, fibre, Omega-3 fatty acids and other micronutrients. They are expensive in India, but a small amount goes a longish way. And, when you don’t have the means to cook meals, reaching out for chia seeds is probably wiser than the equally expensive alternative of packaged cereals.